Refrigerating apparatus



Dec. 19,- 1933. J. T. RAUEN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov, 28, 1928 4 "Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 19, 1933. J T RAUEN 1,940,640

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed NQV. 28, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I M 1'. M gQmm Guam,

Dec. 19, 1933. J. T; RAUEN V REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 28, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 19,1933. j J. T. RAUEN 1,94

REFRIGERATING APPARATU 5 Filed Nov. 28, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 19, 1933 1,940,640 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS John T. Rauenf Dayton, Ohio, assignor toFrigidaire Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation 015 Delaware Application November 28, 1928 W Serial No. 322,440

2 Claims. (CL -35) An object of thisinvention is toprotect the hinges and latching mechanism of a refrigerating cabinet.

Another'object of the invention is to beautify arefrigerating cabinet by concealing as much as possible the unsightly and tarnishable hardware of such cabinet.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. '1 rep "ents a. front view of a cabinet embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2; is anenlarged view of any operating handle and the concealed latch mechanism in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a view of the jamb member of the cabinet with the shanks of the catch and hinge .mechanisms in cross-section;

Fig. 4 is a section on lines 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the hinge mechanism with the door removed;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view on the lines 6=-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is' a cross-sectional view on the lines 7 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a front, end and side view of the base of the latch mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a front, end and side view of the sliding bolt; and

Fig. 10 is a front and side view of the cap member.

It is the intention of this invention to beautify a refrigerating cabinet by concealing the unsightly andta'rnishable hardware of such a cabinet. This also results in better protection of the hardware. The problem of accomplishing this result is complicated because the door must be sealed air tight to prevent heat leakage into the interior of the cabinet. In other words the hinges and latching mechanism must be so placed that they do not interfere with the insulation and seal of the refrigerator door. Accordingly a special arrangement of hinges and latches must be made, in conjunction with the seal and frame surrounding the insulation in order to ace '7 plish this result.

A refrigerating cabinet which embodies features of this invention as shown in Fig. 1, discloses the jam member 2 and the door member 3. Operating handle 4 projects from the front of the door and is pivoted'to the shaft 6 supported by the boss member 5. The door member comprises. insulation 9 such as cork, surrounded by frame members 10 enclosed by a back panel 11. A cam member 12 is located on the farther side of the handle 4. A cap member 13 is fastened to boss 5 by peening around the hole 14. [Base member 15, disclosed in Fig. 8, is fastened by screws 17 through screw-holes 18 in a depression 16 in the frame member of the door. Sliding bolt 19 is placed over said base member.

The sliding bolt member comprises a sliding plate 20, a bolt 21 with a nose 22. An arm 23 connects the plate'and bolt. Sliding plate 20 is placed in depression 24 in the base member.

This depression guidesthe sliding plate and the ends 26 of the depressionfl-i limit the sliding of the arm 23 and likewise the plate and bolt.

Before inserting the sliding bolt member in the depression 24 a spring 29 is placed about the bolt 21 and the bolt is inserted in the hole 23 in the ear 2'7 of the base me her. Hole 28 also guides the movement of the sli g bolt member and the spring 29 tends to maintain the nose 22 in an advanced position.- The joined cap and handle members are then placed over the sliding bolt member and base member with the cam 12' in- 30 serted in the holes 30 and 31 in the slidingbolt and base respectively. Screws 32 are then used to fasten the cap and base member together through the holes 33. The hinge member comprises strap 34 fastened to the front of one of the frame members 10. Knuckle member 35 is inltegral with said strap 34. Strap member 36 is fastened to the jamb member of the refrigerating cabinet. An L-shaped shank member 37 extends from said strap'member 36 and supports knuckle member 38 which in turn supports the pin 39 on which the door pivots. It is obvious that any number of hinge members may be used supporting the door. After the rest of the door members have been assembled the front panel .member 7 is inserted over the handle member 4. v The front, panel member '7 has a flange?? extending around, the sides of said door. With the exception of the,

handle and boss members thefront panel mem- I the frame members 41. The interior is generally covered with an inside panel *2, usually of metal, covered with porcelain or Duco. Similarly the 7 outside is covered with panels 43, usually of metal,

covered with porcelain. Trim 44 which may be f angular pieces of Monel metal may be used to Q protect the corners. Front panels 45 cover the front part of the lamb, 46 is a moulding strip' member in such a position that it is compressed between the door and jamb members when the door is closed. It may be attached to the lamb instead.

It is apparent from the above description that the spring 29 tends tomaintain the nose of the bolt 22 in latching relation with the nose of the catch 47. To release the catch mechanism the handle 4 is raised. This results in the cam 12 'pushing'the sliding plate 20 downward. The bolt 21 being integral with the sliding plate 20 moves its nose' 22 downward out of engagement with the nose of 'thecatch 47-and the catch being released, the door member can then be swung outward on its hinges. The hinge and catch mechanisms covered by the front panel member 7 are protected against dirt and dust, and chemical injury from the outside. Furthermore such hinges and latch mechanisms. being concealed do not have to beso highly polished as would be necessary in exposed hardware. hermore, said concealed hardware does not etract from the appearance of the cabinet if it becomes tarnished. It is apparent that the cabinet can have more than one door supported on concealed hinges and latched by concealedv latch mecha= While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutesa preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims'which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A refrigerator cabinet having a door opening therein and a door lamb surrounding the door.

opening, a door having an insulating portion loosely fitting into said opening and having a flange portion extending around said portion flt ting into the opening, said flange portion cover-- projecting from the front face of the door andoperatively connected to said latch mechanism,

said latch mechanism having a concealed bolt with an end portion extending into said recess beneath said flange for engagement with said keeper.

2. A refrigerator door including an insulating portion adapted to extend into a door opening, and a flange portion extending laterally from the insulating portion, adjacent the outer surface of the door, an outer covering for the door extending over the flange portions thereof, said door having a shallow cavity extending from the flange portionlaterally inwardly beneath bu immediately adjacent the outer metal covering, a latch mechanism concealed within said shallow cavity and having a vbolt extending into the cavity provided inthe flange portion, and an operating handle extending from thelatch mechanism through the outer sheet covering and projecting outwardly therefrom.

' JOHN T. RAUEN. 

